Activist Says Many People Identified as Gay are Scared, Want out of Uganda

A gay activist in Uganda says many of the people who were identified as gay today by a Ugandan newspaper are "scared," and are looking for a way out of the country.

The newspaper published a list of what it called the country’s "200 top" gays, raising fears of violence against the people who were named. Just yesterday, Uganda’s president signed a law that provides long prison terms for people who engage in homosexual activity.

The newspaper ran its list of names -- and some pictures -- in a front-page story under the headline "EXPOSED."

A popular Ugandan hip-hop star and a Catholic priest are among those on the list. The newspaper’s news editor offered no details on how the names were compiled.

According to a gay activist, the tabloid provided enough information to identify many people who had not come out publicly. Three years ago, a Ugandan tabloid published a similar list and called for the execution of gays. A prominent Ugandan gay activist was killed after that list came out.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is demanding that the law that was signed yesterday be revised or repealed. He says it could lead to prejudice and harassment against gays.

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A Ugandan newspaper published a list Tuesday of what it called the country’s "200 top" homosexuals, outing some Ugandans who previously had not identified themselves as gay one day after the president enacted a harsh anti-gay law.

Uganda’s president on Monday signed a controversial anti-gay bill that has harsh penalties for homosexual sex, saying the bill is necessary because "arrogant and careless Western groups" had tried to "recruit" Ugandan children into homosexuality.